I have a confession to make: inviting people over to my place for a meal doesn't come easily to me. While most of my friends may say that I can serve up some delicious dishes, others know that I've had my fair share of kitchen flops.
My culinary disasters are often the result of trying too hard to impress my guests by preparing fussy, labour-intensive meals.
Over the years, I've learned to cook simple, comforting food that allows me time to focus on what really matters: forgetting about life's daily worries and connecting with friends and family.
With the holidays right around the corner, it's the season to entertain and a perfect dinner or lunch idea is lentil sausage stew-a recipe that's been adapted from Ina Garten's cookbook, Barefoot in Paris: easy French food you can make at home (Crown Publishing Group, 2004).
Garten is the host of the long-running, successful show, The Barefoot Contessa, on Food Network Canada.
This flavourful one-pot dish is easy on the wallet, requires little cooking expertise and keeps cleanup to a minimum. Serve it alongside an arugula herb salad with slices of rosyred, crisp Spartan apples. It's particularly tasty after coming in from skating, skiing or hiking on a cold winter's day.
Lentil Sausage Stew
serves 4 What You Need:
1 cup green French lentils, preferably du Puy
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 large leek, white and light green part only, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3 celery stalks, finely diced
3 medium carrots, finely diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 pound chorizo sausage, cut in half lengthwise and sliced in 1/2inch pieces
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
What to Do:
Place the lentils in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes and then drain well. Set aside. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin. Saute until onions and leeks are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add celery and carrots. Continue to saute for another 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir continuously, incorporating it into vegetables.
Cook about five minutes. Add chicken or vegetable stock and lentils. Cover pot, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Next, lower heat, uncover the pot and simmer for an hour. Stir occasionally.
Adjust seasoning if necessary. (The recipe can be made up until this point a day ahead of time.) Add sliced sausage and red wine, if using. Simmer until sausage is cooked through and stew is steaming hot. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Linda Watts is a registered dietitian. Send questions or comments to [email protected]. Visit her food and nutrition blog at lindawatts.blogspot.com.
